System of electric-circuit protection.



APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 21, 1909.

F, W. HARRIS. SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC CIRCUIT PEOTBGTION Patented. Nov. 15,1910 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WHNESSES. yaw/ff,- Q" w mw mviimog BY ,6 I p" M1 ATTORNEY P. W: HARRE.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC CIRCUIT PROTECTION.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 21, 1909 975,420, I Patenteii Nov. 15, 910.

3 SHEETS-811E513.

NVENTCR W| TNESSESI I I ATTORNEY Ppw, HARRIS. SYSTEM OF ELECTRIC CIRCUITPROTECTION.

APPLIUATION Pimp J NJL 1909 Patented m 15, 1.910

3 SEEETSSHEET 3.

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* UNITED s-TA'rns PATENT union.

FORD W. HARRIS, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 'IQWESYtINt'iHQUSE ELECTRIC &; MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A OORPQRATION OFPENIQ'SEL'VAHHA.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Application filed January 21, 1909. Serial No. 473,528.

lb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Form W. HARRIs, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of VVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Systems ofElectric-Circuit Protection, of which the following is a SPQClfiCtItlOlLMy invention relates to systems of'distribution embodying automaticcircuit interrupters, and. it has for its object to provide simple andadequate means that is directly dependent-upon, and is adapted for usein connection with, electric circuits of very high voltage for actuatinga suitable automatic circuit interrupter.

Automatic circuit breakers for high-voltage lines are usually actuatedby energy obtainedtfrom' the secondary winding of a series transformerin order to avoid the care and expense involved in the construction andinsulation of high-potential magnet But, if the potential of the circuitto be protected is twenty five thousand volts, or higher, seriestransformers suitable for this service are liable to insulation troublesand are in'ipract-icable by reason of their expense.

According to my present invention, 1 provide an electro-magnet which isconnected directly in the circuit of the high-voltage line and issupported by one of the line insulators or by a base of porcelain orother suitable insulatlng material so that none 01' its parts aregrounded. Consequently, it is I necessary only to insulate theelectro-magnet against the potential diiierence due to the drop in itsown windings, and it may be adapted to either operate a relay switch, at

a considerable distance, through a long insulating rod or bar, or it mayact directly upon the tripping mechanism of the auto matic circuitinterrupter through the mechanical intervention of the insulating rod.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic view of a systemof distribution embodying my invention and F as. 2 and 3 are similarviews of slightly modified arrangements, in which the relay switch ofFig. l is omitted.

Referring to Fig. 1, alternating current energy of very high potentialis supplied to a transmission line 1-2-3 from any suitrupt the threephases of the circuit simulta neously, and also a closing magnet *4" anda releasemagnet 8.

The operation of the interrupter is governed either by a mastercontroller 9 or, automatically, by means of an electro-magnet 10 havingwinding 11 that is connected in the interrupted line 3, Theelectro-rnagnet 10 comprises a stationary frame 12, a movable coremember 13 and a winding 1.1, the frame 12 being either secured to one ofthe line insulators or mounted upon an in sulat-ing support it. Thestationary frame 12 is provided with a projection 15 upon which bellcrank levers l6 and 17 are piv otally mounted. One arm of the bell cranklever 16 is connected to the movable contact member 18.01 a relay switch19 through a long insulating rod or bar 20, its other arm being adaptedto engage one end of the bell crank lever 17 which serves as a latch andopposes the rotative movement of the bell crank lever 16 which theweight of the rod 20 tends to effect. The opposite end of the I bellcrank lever 17 is enlarged to provide a weight 21 which tends to holdthe latch in the position indicated above, and the armature 13 of theelectroonagnet 10 is connected to the weighted arm of the lever 17 by arod 22, that="e ;tends through a suitable slot in the lever and isprovided with nuts 23 aiid 2% to limit the relative movement between thetwo parts.

The relay switch 19 comprises stationary contact members 25, which arebridged by the contact member 18, under predetermined conditions, and anopening magnet 26 which, when energized,- serves to raise the rod or bar20.

The operation of the system is as follows: Assuming that the circuitinterrupt/er is closed and that the parts of the electromagnet 1.0occupy the positions indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, if it isdesired to interrupt the circuit 12-3, the master switch 9 may be movedto occupy a position a in which a circuit is completed from any arebridged by contact member 30), conductor 31, releasemagnet-windin 8,contact members 32 which are bridge [by contact member 33 w on thecircuit interrupter is closed), and conductor '34: to the oppositeterminal of the generator 27. .;Whcn enerto v gained, the elcctro-magnet8 serves to" open t .e circuit interrupter and" also to interrupt itsown circuit, "since the contact member'83. moves into engagementwithcontact mean bars 35 when the interrupter occupies its open position.

' The circuit interrupter may be closed by moving the master switch intoosition b in which a circuit is completed t rough contact fingers 28an'cl'36 (which are bridged by contact member 37 conductor 38, closingcoil 7, contact fingers 35 and conductor 34, to the opposite terminalofthe generator27.;

If the circuit interrupter is closed and the current traversing thetransmission circuit 1- -2--3 exceeds an amount redetermincd by theposition ,or by the weig t of the core member 13 of the electro-magnet10,.thi's member will be raised and the bell crank lever 17 will bemoved through a predetermined angle which is sufficient to. release orbarf20 to fall. This action closes the relay switch 19, and a circuit isestablished from the generator 27 through the conductor 39, contactmembers-25 and 18, conductor 31, and release magnet 8, from which pointthe circuit is completed as above inicated.

When the circuit interrupter has been opened, either manuallyfonautomatically,

and the master switch has been moved into position b, the closing coilwill be energized,

as indicated above, and, at the same time, a

1 bridging contact members circuit will be completed through theresettin magnet coil'26 which is adapted to raise ills rod 20sufliciently to allow the latch 17 "to set itself, so that, when themagnet 26 is interrupted by the final closing of the breaker, the relayswitch will beheld open. Should the latch fail to catch an'd, for anyreason, such 'as an overload imtlie circuit, to hold the rod 20 whentheinterrupter is closed and the rod is raised, as above indicated, therod will fallback and immediately open the breaker.

Referring to Fig. 20f the drawings, in which corresponding parts aredesignated by the same reference characters, the cir-' cuit interrupter5, as here shown, comprises 6 an actuating lever-40 and a link 41, theends of which are pivotally attached to the lever and to a stationaryirame 42, respeetively cno end of: the lever t0 being connected to thebridgingcontact member by a rod 4:3 and its 05 0- the bell crank lever 5is engaged by a latch 47, when the interrupter is closed, and. tl1earrangement of parts is such that the lower end of the rod or bar 20strikes the latch 47 when the lever 16 is released and the rod ispermitted to fall.

The circuit interrupter may be closed by energizing the magnet 7, whichis connected a in circuit with the resettin magnet 26.

As shown in Fig. 3 of t e drawings, my invention may be adapted for usewith a manually operated circuit -interrupter 48 which comprisesstationary contact members n 19, movable bridging contact members 50,and an operating mechanism 51, by me chanically connecting the insulatinrod or bar, 20 to the operating mechanism y a lost motion connection sothat the opening of "the device will raise the rod and reset the latch17 The lost motion connection referred to may be effected by anysuitable means, therod 20 being here shown as proi vided with anenlargement 52 which is enthe bell crank lever 16 andperm t the rod lwhen the circuit breaker is closed. The arrangement of parts is suchthat the opening of the breaker serves to raise the rod 20 sufficientlyto permit the latch 17 to restrain it and, consequently, when thebreaker is closed, the rod is free to fall so as to release the latch55, when the latch 17 is again operated to release the lever 16.

It may be desirable, in some cases, to use theresetting'magnet 26 inconnection with the manually operated circuit interrupter of ,Fig. 3, inwhich case, the circuit of the resetting coil will be made and broken bythe opening and closing of the interrupter, as in the arrangement shownin Fig. 2.

Modifications in the circuit arrangement or bar secured thereto and anelectro magnet ewe-ac y for raising the rod or bar, of a highwoltageelectrounagnet c iepending upon the highvoltage circuit "for its energy,a latch for holding the red or bar and the movable contactmember of therelay switch in an open circuit position, said high-voltageelectro-magnet being adapted to release the;

holding means.

2. The coi'nhination with a high-voltage circuit, a circuit interrupter,a rod or liar for tripping the intcrrqutcr, electi7c--respo1tsive meansfor raising the means for hoiding it in its raised posi ion, of ahiglrvoltage electromiagnct associated with the high-voltage circuittorreleasing the holding means.

3. The combination with a highwoltage circuit, a circuit interrupter, arod-or bar for tripping the interrupter, eiectro-responsive meansforiraisii g rotl or bar and means for lioldingit; inciteraisedposition, of a i'iigli-voltage electr -inagnet associated with thehigh-voltage circuit for releasing the holding means andnn auxiliaryswitch operat-iveiy connected to the circuit interrod or be r and rupterfor opening the circuit of the fitting 5 niagnet except when the circuitinterrupter E is open. 4-. Thecombination with a higlbvoltage l circuit,a circuit interrupter therefor, a lowvoltage circuit, a release magnetfor the interrupter adapted to be energized from the iow-voltagecirei.iit,-a relay switch compris- 1 ing stationary and movable contactmenihers for governing the reicase magnet, and J a rod or baroperativ'eiy connected to the movable contact member of the relayswitch, J of means for opening the relay switch and I raising the rod orbar, a latch for restrainl ing the rod or our and an electro magnet lenergized from the high-voltage circuit for relcasing the rod or barunder predetermined conditions on the high-voltage circuit. In testimonywhereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th day of Jan nary,1969.

FORD \V. HARRIS. Witnesses G. M AoDoNALn, BIR'NEY imes.

